The case of Hezekiah affords an excellent test of the doctrine expressed by the popular hymn, that: "Death is the gate to endless joy. (Isaac Watts, Hymn 31, "Christ's presence makes death easy," or "Why should we start, and fear to die.") "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus says the Lord, Set your house in order: for you shall die, and not live." (Isaiah 38:1)
There was no doubt but that he was doomed to die. And how did he receive the news? We are told that "Hezekiah wept sore." (Isaiah 38:3)
He loved life more than death. But perhaps there was something in his past life that was wrong, and the thought of this caused him to fear. Let us see. "Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight. And Hezekiah wept sore." (Isaiah 38:2-3)
He was a very good man; and besides this, the Lord granted him time to set his house in order, and to make any preparation that he might desire. This privilege is not accorded to everyone. And yet Hezekiah did not want to die; did not want to go (according to the popular idea) to be with the One whom he loved and had served so faithfully. We will let him tell in his own words why he did not want to die. After he had recovered, he deliberately wrote as follows: "I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave; I am deprived of the residue of my years." (Isaiah 38:10)
So instead of his years being lengthened out to all eternity, they would have been cut off. Then he would not have gone to Heaven, but to the grave. But would he not have gone to Paradise, there to praise God? Hear his words again: "For the grave cannot praise You, death cannot celebrate You: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for your truth." (Isaiah 38:18)
This was at least one reason why Hezekiah did not want to die. He wanted to continue praising the Lord, and he knew that he could not if he died. We will not now consider whether or not he might have honored the Lord more by dying than by living. Had he died at that time he would have avoided at least one sin; but the point is that he could no more have uttered praise to God.
But the objector will say, "All this is spoken of his body; of course its functions would have ceased, and it would have decayed; but his soul would have gone to God."
Well, then, we will listen to him once more: "Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but You have in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for You have cast all my sins behind your back." (Isaiah 38:17)
So it appears that neither his body nor his soul would have gone to Heaven if he had died, although he was a good man. This case alone is sufficient to disprove the doctrine that the good go to their reward at death.
But it may still be urged that Hezekiah lived in the old dispensation, before Christ, and that "life and immortality" (2 Timothy 1:10) had not then been brought to light; that he did not understand the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, and that his words are not to be taken as authority. We readily admit that he did not understand the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, as held by the majority nowadays, but will not admit that his words are not authority. Hear what Paul says of the Old Testament writings: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, etc." (2 Timothy 3:16)
Then we may go to the Old Testament to learn doctrine; and in this case we learn a very important doctrinal lesson. These words of Hezekiah stand unrebuked and uncontradicted, as a part of divine revelation. We will then accept them as such, believing that they, with the rest of the Scripture, are necessary in order to make us wise unto salvation.--Signs of the Times, October 5, 1888--Isaiah 38:1-18
E.J. Waggoner